conception

American  

[kuhn-sep-shuhn] / kənˈsɛp ʃən /

noun

1. the act of conceiving; the state of being conceived.

2. fertilization; inception of pregnancy.

3. a notion; idea; concept.

   She has some odd conceptions about life.

4. something that is conceived.

   That machine is the conception of a genius.

5. origination; beginning.

   The organization has been beset by problems from its conception.

6. a design; plan.

7. a sketch of something not actually existing.

   an artist's conception of ancient Athens.

8. the act or power of forming notions, ideas, or concepts.

---

conception British  

/ kənˈsɛpʃən /

noun

1. something conceived; notion, idea, design, or plan

2. the description under which someone considers something

   her conception of freedom is wrong

3. the fertilization of an ovum by a sperm in the Fallopian tube followed by implantation in the womb

4. origin or beginning

   from its conception the plan was a failure

5. the act or power of forming notions; invention

---

conception Scientific  

/ kən-sĕp′shən /

1. The formation of a zygote resulting from the union of a sperm and egg cell; fertilization.

---

conception Cultural  

1. Fertilization; the union of the sperm and ovum to form a zygote. (See reproductive systems.)

---

Usage

What are other ways to say conception? A conception is a notion or idea that seems complete, individual, or somewhat intricate. Do you know when to use conception, thought, idea, and notion? Learn more on Thesaurus.com. 

Other Word Forms

• conceptional adjective
• conceptive adjective
• postconception adjective
• reconception noun

Etymology

Origin of conception

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English concepcion from Latin conceptiōn- (stem of conceptiō ), equivalent to Latin concept- ( concept ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

These aspirations speak to customers’ greatest desires, their dreams for the future, and their conceptions of who they are and who they strive to be.

From MarketWatch

By chance, however, he'd ended up in the birthplace of hip-hop, right at the moment of conception.

From BBC

Ultimately a conceptual architect, he occasionally suffers from the chronic weakness of the type, which is that the realization can be weaker than the conception.

From The Wall Street Journal

The digital media company said it has broadly operated at a loss since its conception and is burdened by legacy commitments.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Congressman Swalwell and the Findraiser team consulted the House Committee on Ethics on the conception and implementation of the tool every step of the way.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• appreciation
• conceit
• concept
• impression
• interpretation
• notion
• perception
• realization